Hello All, Carrie here to report on todays events in the step down clinic...
Here is a pic of my dad sitting on the edge of the bed right before he stood up and made it to the chair for some more upright sitting, something I have not seen since before the surgeries!
It was tiring but he wanted to do it and then did it, of course with some help from his physical therapist Margarhete. Also of note he is really moving his left arm better and was squeezing her hand and rotating his wrist, we told him he has to get ready for some tennis soon! This has been his weak side so to see the movement coming back is great. Another thing was that when he grabbed Margarhete's ID badge (because he likes to joke with the nurses) he began to look at it so we asked him if he could read her last name and he did! Alverz he says...My dad has not been able to read and when we have given him things to read or look at he gets a puzzled look on his face so, this is a BIG deal! His brain is slowly coming back and remembering things. There are still time when he seems confused but I think that it is just taking time for his brain to put things back together. He was also able to tell me what time it was and knew when it was getting closer to 5pm because that is when visiting hours are over.

Dad has been in better spirits these days and I can see his sense of humor shining though in almost everything which is great. Today when I talked to him about the new feeding tube in his stomach which allows him to move around better, he asked what was "on the menu" HA HA! He is having a lot of fun with the suction appliance which is helping him to get rid of all the phelm in his chest still and when I started yawning he stuck it in my mouth for fun...I love seeing this in my dad because this is how I remember him, smiles and jokes. He had a way of making people feel at ease and all the nurses love him.

The other big news is we think he will be moving into rehab tomorrow!!!!! he now has the trach and the nose feeding tube out and is moving around more and is more alert so they want to get him there so he can get out of the hospital! We were also told that the dogs can visit him in rehab which he has been talking about dexter and hiro and I know he would love to see his buddies!

So, hopefully tomorrow I will be writing about a whole new adventure and being one step closer to home which we are anxiously awaiting his return!!!!